Parasites Are Good, Actually

Parasites give most of us the heebie-jeebies. But new research shows they're pretty dang important for ecosystems, and climate change is putting them in danger. So here's some of the reasons you should care about those guys!

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[Ecrilon]

Between this video and "Why You Might Want Parasitic Worms, " Scishow is the most pro parasite Youtube channel I've ever seen.

[davidci]

Parasites Are Good, Actually
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[Slackwise]

Don't be fooled, a parasite made them write this title!

[akumaking]

“Are parasites good?”
“Depends on the context.”

[slitheringswamp]

Parasites that jump from host to host to host species in a single life cycle are really cool because their presence can show the health of an ecosystem. If I need to trampoline off of a marsh snail, do a backflip off a specific species of crab, and end up in a heron, then the fact that I'm able to survive doing that means that those species and the species they depend on are doing pretty well!

[minacapella]

"Parasitism is a way of life"
Politicians and CEOs can speak from experience...

[DanielMether]

What I find confusing is why such a large portion of parasites are multi-host. You would think a lifecycle that reads like a Rube Goldberg machine would be bad for hardiness.

[nichole_null]

If your parent ever calls you a parasite, show them this video 🥰

[mollyj]

I study bees, and so few people know about cuckoo bees, our parasitic bees. They represent a greater diversity of bees than social bees do - around 13% of all bees are cleptoparasitic. They act as important bioindicators and help warn us of declines in their hosts. Plus they're just super cool :)

[ZaDussault]

I imported parasite wasps in my terrariums to munch on the whiteflies population and now, they're not gone, but they stay at a manageable level, It's awesome!

[Kammerliteratur]

3:33 "unless the parasites are infecting us or domesticated animals like pets and lifestock" -- don't forget plant parasites!

[aff]

Basically, it's the same reason you want predators. Too many damn deer, too many damn crabs

[Beryllahawk]

Whoever made the animation of the critter trying to smile and "thumbs up" - that's as close to cute as I've ever seen a parasite get, so...good job!
It's fair to say that parasites do much the same job ecologically as predators: they cull the populations of whatever species they're adapted for. They are no doubt much more focused (or do I mean specialized) than say, a wolf, and they're certainly not as pretty or poetic. I think we all have some level of discomfort with looking at and considering parasites, maybe because we're projecting our own personal sense of well being onto whatever host the parasite infects. But if considering the plight of parasites leads to effective solutions for helping entire ecosystems survive the climate change WE caused? We definitely need to work on it. Even if it DOESN'T lead to helpful solutions it won't be wasted knowledge.

[felironmaden]

I fell like this kind of research really needs to be done at 2 locations, aka a PAIR O' SITES. Sorry, someone had to say it :)

[terramater]

It's so interesting to see how some species really depend on each other! Our camera crew "went inside" figs that live in symbiosis with tiny fig wasps. The tree depends on the wasp to pollinate its flowers, but in return, it offers a hidden place for the insect to lay its eggs. It's fascinating to see it!

[necromanticer]

Parasites allow nutrients to flow around the food chain without full predation.
Any efficient food web will rely on a degree of parasitism to function optimally.

That we assume parasites are bad is likely because we don't like anything that can feed on us so we impart malice to the concept.

[luckydueces]

Ahhh nature, brutal yet balanced as always

[simonsaysism]

Not sure how solid this theory is, but I've heard it discussed that the proliferation of allergy and immune conditions these days could be related to how uncommon parasites are becoming in humans. Supposedly we evolved to be dealing with these constant unavoidable parasite loads, and now that they're suddenly gone, our immune systems trip over themselves with having so little work to do.

[fzmohammed]

That was a insightful video but when it comes to parasites I'm still going to have to say 'Nope'

[travis]

Something tells me "Save the parasites" isn't as rallying a slogan as scientists hope it to be.